Sunday morning ride to Menzies

[orabanda]

Hi All,
My dear friend Mario (The Italian Stallion) and I did a quick blast up the road to Menzies this morning.

Menzies is an old gold mining town (like all of the town in the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia).

It was founded in 1984, and the population shot up to 10,000 fortune seekers almost overnight, then fell back to 20 within a decade, once the easy gold was won.

It remains at about 20 now, but is on the Meekatharra highway, so there is plenty of traffic through the old centre.

It is a 280 km round trip. We were supposed to leave at 8 am but mario turned up at 8.45, complaining about the cold (it was 2 degrees). I told him he was a sook, and he would have to wear a blouse if he carried on like a shelia!

Anyway, cold not with standing, a good run, reasonable amount of traffic (all the miners and drillers going to church! ha ha I think not!). We sat on 65 mph, with a blast up to 80.

When we got to Menzies, we were shocked to discover that the service station no longer opens on Sundays (too hard to find staff!). Anyway, the owner heard us, came to perve on the bikes, and filled us up with fuel and coffee; thanks mate!!

Only drama was on the way back, when my bike stopped firing on the RH pot.

Easily fixed - the bottom pick-up had fallen away from the maggie. Obviously I hadn't got the awkward pick-up retaining clip properly in place. Luckily everything was still there and away we went.

Here are some picks taken at Canegrass Swamp (just off the blacktop).



The Italian Stallion!



Me with my "Old Gold" in gold country!



Ride safe,
Richard

[mikethebrush]

what a fantastic run out

thanks for sharing with us and posting pics

them flashes look a treat

[orabanda]

We also went up there a few months ago, for breakfast at the Menzies roadhouse!

I rode the rigid A10; what a test of man and highway condition!

Every road maker should be made to travel their highway on a rigid framed machine; the highways would be made a lot flatter I guarantee!

My friend Tony was happy to leave his VN1300 Kawasaki at home, and ride my Road Rocket.

[LJ.]

Brilliant stuff Richard thanks for posting! Love that 'number plate' shack looks a great meet up place for coffee and bike chat, dont see you carrying a pan for gold prospecting though, love to have a try at that down your way.

[tombeau]

Nce one.
Out of interest, how do you all pronounce Menzies there?
The Scots pronounciation of the surname is "Meeng-Is" .
Cheers,
Iain

[orabanda]

Ian,
Pronunciation is "Men Zees", after the adventurer / prospector who found the first gold, and rushed 180 kM back to Coolgardie, (by foot or camel) to lodge the claim.

LJ, my family were pastoralists and prospectors, and known for their ability to find the precious yellow metal. My dad said to me on his death bed, that his greatest regret was that there was so much gold out there,that he hadn't found.

This is my father,and grandfather in background, with a bar from one of their many crushings.


Here is one of our family, with another bar on the bonnet of the vanguard, prior to taking it to the bank. I am sitting on the bonnet.



Here is dad, just starting to sink a shaft.



This mine,the "Sleeping Beauty" was very rich. This pic was taken at a later stage. Dad is down the hole, my grandfather and uncle ar on top (manning the windlass)., and the little tacker is me, looking for a BSA to restore.



The ore bucket, interestingly enough, was a "Night cart bucket". Popular because of the heavy duty construction, and because it was as much as a man could lift using a windlass, when full of dirt.

Richard

[alanp]

Brilliant history and photos!
That's the romantic image people like us in urban UK surrounded by masses of people/traffic/buildings/regulations/cctv cameras etc have of the old Australian prospectors. Bet the reality was tough at times though.
Your Dad and Grandad sound like great characters.
Thanks.
Alan

[NickSR]

Hi
Thanks for sharing your photos.

Regards
Nick